The present invention relates to a roof rail weatherstrip for a motor vehicle body structure including a roof rail defining an upper side of a window opening and a vehicle door having a window pane movable between raised and lowered position relative to the window opening.
It is well known that in order to minimize the undesirable and annoying phenomenon known as "wind noise" which may occur at high vehicle operating speeds, a seal must be maintained about the periphery of a vehicle window pane. This is because a great deal of "wind noise" heard during high speed vehicle operation actually is caused by relatively high pressure air from the vehicle passenger compartment passing around the edge of the window pane and into the relatively low-pressure area proximate the outer skin of the moving vehicle.
Maintaining a seal around a vehicle window pane has been rendered more difficult in modern vehicles, especially vehicles which have no frame support for the door window pane. Even though conventional weatherstrips are used to establish a seal about the window periphery, such a seal will be broken upon reduction of pressure in area proximate the outer skin of the motor vehicle as compared to pressure in the passenger compartment. Reduction of pressure normally occurs during high speed vehicle operation. The unsupported window pane then moves outwardly. This outward movement causes the descruction of the seal about the top edge of the window pane.